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5 Winter Hair & Scalp Care Tips

The weather outside may be frightful. So why should your wintertime hair look that way? There’s no denying the long winter months make add challenges to maintaining full, healthy. The cold season also creates itchy, flaky scalps, which according to Healthline, can even cause hair loss in severe cases.

So why is winter so harsh on our heads in the first place? Most of the distress can be blamed on dry, windy conditions zapping hair of moisture. Also, the sharp contrast of regularly subjecting hair to both the toasty indoors and frigid outdoors adds to the turmoil of the season.

But don’t think that winter means you’re doomed to months of wearing hats to hide damaged hair. If you’re noticing excessive brittleness, flakier scalps and more breakage, follow our advice and you’ll be showing off a happy, healthy flowing mane any time of the year.

1. Avoid Styling With Heat-Based Methods

Your hair is already combatting dry conditions and desperately craving every extra drop of moisture it can find. Don’t make the battle even more challenging by introducing more dryness into the picture.

This means resisting the temptation to use straighteners, curling irons, high-heat settings on your blow dryer, or other styling methods that add heat directly to your hair. Your locks might look great for a few hours as you hit up the town, but before long the damage will be worse than ever.

But sacrificing heat doesn’t have to mean giving up style. Instead, use products like moisturizing styling gels, mousse and sprays that both hydrates your hair and show off your signature style.

As for drying hair after showering without wasting too much time, use a fresh, dry towel to soak up as much excess water as possible. Still, provide yourself some extra time so your hair can fully air dry before heading out into the colder temperatures. Exposing wet hair to chilly air may lead to the hair freezing causing serious damage.

2. Spoil Your Locks

Of course we recommend loving your hair year-round. During wintertime though, try giving it a little extra TLC. One way is to boost your moisturizing regimen. The lack of humidity in winter air sucks your hair dry—as well as your scalp. To fight these adverse effects, you’ll have to add in the extra moisture yourself.

Though it’s typically not necessary to shampoo daily, never skip conditioning your hair during the winter. Increasing how long you let your conditioner soak in can also make a positive difference in the brittleness of your hair. For added protection, work in a leave-in conditioner with ingredients like dimethicone, cyclomethicone, glycerin, or natural oils after showering or before bed. This is great for both the scalp and hair.

3. Skip the Temptation of Hot Showers

When it’s below freezing outside, who doesn’t love turning the shower into a makeshift sauna and soaking in some extra heat? Your hair. We know it feels fantastic to defrost after a day of being chilled to the bone, but is it worth seriously drying out your already delicate locks?

This doesn’t mean resorting to cold showers, but do try to lower the water temperature as much as possible. Or if you simply can’t imagine skipping a scorching hot shower, at least minimize how long you’re exposing your hair to all that heat.

4. Cut Your Hair

Even if you take immaculate care of your hair, split ends and breakage are inevitable in cold weather. When shredded strands are left intact at the ends of otherwise healthy hair, it increases the likelihood of hair damage spreading.

To prevent further breakage from occurring, ensure you’re regularly chopping off damaged ends. Not only will getting rid of that brittle, straw-like hair make for a shinier, happier mane—it will also help the remaining hair stay healthy throughout the season.

5. Stay Healthy & Hydrated

It’s not just about how you take care of your hair and scalp. It’s also about taking care of the rest of your body. Maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet—especially full of hair nourishing nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin A, Vitamin D, and biotin—will keep your hair flourishing no matter the outdoor conditions. Whether ingesting them in your meals or taken as daily supplements, incorporating these elements is essential to long-term healthy hair care.

And as a lack of moisture is the primary culprit for creating delicate winter hair, ensure you’re staying fully hydrated with plenty of water and other moisture and oil-rich sustenance. Incorporating foods like avocados, olive oils, nuts and salmon will make hair visibly shinier and fuller.

Just adding a few minutes and methods to your hair care routine can nearly eliminate fragile winter hair in no time. After all, don’t your locks deserve it for putting up with the elements?

If you’ve followed our tips but still notice excess balding, talk to the hair loss experts at Limmer HTC. Whatever the cause, we’re committed to providing every client with the full head of hair they deserve. Contact us at (210) 496-9992 or set up an appointment online today.